Coffee

There was a time when I thought all coffee was basically the same. Sure, you could add milk to it and get what people today call cafe latte, or make it strong and then it was espresso, or just use instant. In fact, instant was what I drank for many years. To me, that was coffee. I did keep some ground coffee for an old percolator I had, just in case guests might want it. Looking back, I truly did not know what I was missing. It wasn’t until a dear friend of mine rejected my stale, generic coffee. I thought he was a bit of a snob, but it made me think. I looked into coffee and it became an exploration and journey that opened up a whole new world for me, the world of delicious, delightful coffee. I learned to differentiate between types and blends and processing of coffee, of roasting and preparation, and of gourmet flavored coffee beans that can add so much to the enjoyment of this most wondrous of beverages.

Once I realized that instant coffee really wasn’t the real thing, no matter what the TV commercials said, I experimented with different ways of brewing coffee. I tried different types of automatic and semi-automatic coffeemakers. I fell in love with the simple elegance of the French press with its simple plunger system but also experimented with a variety of other systems. I initially bought coffee that was already ground, for no other reason than that I had unpleasant childhood memories of mom making me grind coffee beans in an old hand-powered mill. I hated it. However, I found that I was quite particular in the way I liked to have my coffee ground. It had to be just right, not too coarse and not too fine.

I also began to appreciate the many different types of gourmet coffee beans from all over the world. A lot of people still think that coffee is coffee, and it’s either black or with milk or cream, I think coffee is really more like wine-no two types and roasts are the same. After you’ve sampled imported coffee beans from various countries and regions, you begin to appreciate the subtle and not so subtle differences. Likewise, there’s a huge difference between light roasts and dark roasts. Did you know, for example, that lighter roasts actually have more caffeine, and that the way coffee is stored also makes a difference?

These days, coffee has become a hobby and passion for me. I love exploring various flavors. Yes, you can get toasted cinnamon pecan flavored coffee beans, or white chocolate, or raspberry almond, or pralines and cream. Or all sorts of Italian espresso. Or special private blends from specialty coffee places on the web. The Kona blend gourmet beans I get from my favorite place are out of this world. And when I feel adventurous I may sample coffees from Jamaica, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia or Costa Rica. Some of the Central and South American coffee growing countries offer delicious shade grown and organic coffee beans, and I also keep some decaffeinated blends for when I feel like having a cup at night before I go to bed.

Amazingly, gourmet flavored coffee beans aren’t even that expensive. The better supermarkets in my area actually often charge more per pound than the online gourmet discount coffee bean places, without having nearly the same selection and quality.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Gourmet Coffee Beans

Author: Chris Robertson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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In this the fourth article in our series on world coffees we discuss the coffees from Africa and the Middle East.

ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia is the true birthplace of coffee. The original coffee plant originated here as well the first brew. Ethiopia today is the fifth largest producer of coffee in the world growing mainly the best arabicas. Ethiopian dry-processed coffee (Harrar), tends to be medium-bodied and strongly acidic with fruity, winy tones. The best wet-processed coffee (Yirgacheffe) is light-bodied and has distinctive floral and citrus notes. Dry processed ‘Djimah’ is a popular bean that a exhibits medicinal taste. ‘Ghimbi’ is a wet-processed bean from western Ethiopia. Limu is the market name for a well-respected fragrant, floral and fruit-toned wet-processed coffee from south-central Ethiopia.

UGANDA

As the 11th largest producer of coffee in the world, Uganda has some fine arabica coffees which display the much favoured winy acidity and other desirable flavour characteristics of the best East African coffees. About 90% of the coffees produced are of the robusta variety, which are mainly used for blending and in the manufacture of instant soluble coffee. ‘Bugishu’ coffee from the slopes of Mount Elgon is the best known coffee from Uganda.

IVORY COAST

As the third largest producer of coffee on the African continent, the Ivory Coast grows mainly rich and strong robustas used in soluble coffee production.

TANZANIA

Tanzania produces mostly robusta coffees much of it grown on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro from which these Kilimanjaro coffees get their name. Some arabicas are grown further south in the country the best known of which is ‘Mbeya’ coffee. The best coffees from Tanzania have a full body and rich flavour, with classic acidy that make them resemble the best coffees of neighbouring Kenya.

CAMEROON

Due to its high altitude, rich volcanic soils and ample rainfall coffees from Cameroon are of good quality. They are full-bodied flavour with a well-rounded finish with chocolate characteristics.

KENYA

Kenya produces excellent quality Arabica coffees that are renowned for their consistent high quality. Although mainly produced by smallholders the harvested beans are pooled and processed under strict conditions by the Coffee Board of Kenya. The beans are carefully graded by the board into categories. PB or peaberry is considered the best, followed by AA, A and B. The peaberry plant only produces a single bean, rather than the usual ‘split’ bean found in all other varieties. Kenyan coffees have deep winy acidity with subtle fruit and berry tones.

MADAGASCAR

The island of Madagascar produces over 700,000 bags of coffee per year of both robusta and Arabica varieties. It’s most celebrated coffee ‘Kouillou’ has a highly distinctive flavour and is rated very highly by the French.

YEMEN

The name ‘Mocha’ often synonymous with coffee comes from the Yemen port of the same name, which was used as a main trading point for coffee beans. Yemeni beans are known for their rich, winy, aroma and strong chocolate tones.

For more information about coffee and coffee making equipment visit http://www.cafebar.co.uk

Author: Fenton Wayne
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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African coffees tend towards the exotic in flavors as compared to the more well know Latin American coffees. These flavors include what’s described as fruity and floral with high acidity and medium body. Let’s review several of the more popular African coffee growing countries.

Kenya

The king of African coffees, washed Arabica Kenya coffee, is considered overall to be of the highest quality on the continent as a result of years and years of production, very high standards, superior milling facilities and coffee experts. Located on the east coast of Africa, Kenya’s Mombasa port has been a natural focal point of commerce for ages. The famous Rift Valley of Central Kenya where most of the people live. A fertile land from the tropical coasts, semi-desert north and the savannahs in the south, Kenya’s agricultural products, primarily tea and coffee, contribute to half of the country’s exports.

The primary coffee growing regions are located around Mt. Kenya, just north of Nairobi, the country’s capital. This region has two distinct rainy seasons; the first is April-June which results in what’s called “fly crop” and the second is October-December with its increased rain produces the “main crop.”

Characteristics include a high acidity, full body, intense floral and fruity flavors.

Growing regions include: Meru, Kirinyaga, Muranga, Nyeri, Embu and several others.

Ethiopia

By most accounts considered the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia is located in northeast corner of Africa just north of Kenya, next to Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan. It is interesting to note that Ethiopia is the leading coffee consuming country in Africa, consuming almost half their annual production.

Ethiopian coffee is a prized coffee for its very unique flavors, most often a result of a combination of soil, terrain, weather and often the natural drying process of the coffee cherries in contrast to the washed processing of most Arabia coffees considered high quality Specialty varieties.

Characteristics depending on the variety may include: balanced medium body and acidity with winey sweet or floral flavors and blueberry notes.

The most popular varieties in the United States are Harar, Yirgacheffe and Sidamo.

Tanzania

The mainland is primarily a savannah plateau lying east of the famous Rift Valley, Tanzania includes the island of Zanzibar. In the north lie Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti National Park. With its tropical climate people are concentrated on the coastal region and in the north. Coffee is one of its main exports. Tanzania has several regions, north, south and west where coffee growing is found.

These Arabica coffees are mostly of the washed and fully washed varieties with the harvest season extending from April through December.

Characteristics include a balanced body with bright acidity and flavor. In the south we find more fruity flavors.

Popular varieties include Kilamanjaro, Makambako, Songea and Bukoa.

Burundi

This very small, but densely populated country borders Tanzania, Congo and Rwanda with a mountainous high plateau and tropical climate. A very poor country, most of its population survive through subsistence agriculture. Its coffee and tea earn 90% of its export dollars.

Primarily a washed Arabica variety, the harvest season extends from February through June.

Characteristics include a full body and bright acidity, typical of east African coffees. A long way from the ocean, processed coffee must be transported across land through Tanzania to the port of Dar es Salaam or through Kenya to Mombasa.

Zambia

Like Burundi, Zambia is a landlocked country lying just north of Zimbabwe, but actually bordering seven countries in all. With its tropical climate and high savannah plateau, Zambia has a long rainy season which goes from November through May.

Although primarily an Agrarian country, its economy is dependent on mining Copper, but reserves are declining. As a result, the government is promoting agriculture and coffee production is increasing. The harvest season extends from October through March producing a full-bodied washed Arabica coffee with the general qualities of an average African variety.

Raising quality is a priority and government experimental farms are helping to improve growing, harvesting and production techniques that are being shared with the coffee growing community.

Malawi

Another landlocked coffee growing country located at the southern end of the famous Rift Valley between Zambia and Tanzania, Malawi produces a small but good quality washed Arabica coffee harvest.

With a subtropical climate, its economy is primarily agricultural with 90% of the population living in rural communities. Although the country is a ward of the IMF and World Bank, independent coffee, tea, sugar and tobacco farmers are producing the main exports.

Coffee production is difficult as irrigation is required as a result of recent drought conditions and unpredictable rainfall. This situation restricts coffee production resulting in a small but quality coffee crop each year.

The washed Arabica beans are processed as fully washed coffee harvested from April through September producing a coffee of medium acidity and light body.

Author, Steve Josephs is CEO of Intellidon Marketing Solutions, whose family office coffee service business, the Great American Coffee Company, http://www.GourmetOfficeCoffee.com, is a premier Specialty coffee roaster and office coffee service provider in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan business community.

Copyright 2009 The Great American Coffee Company and Intellidon Marketing Solutions, Inc.

All rights reserved. Reprints are permissible when this Copyright statement and website link are included.

Author: Steve Josephs
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Coffee Around the World

Coffee plants are grown throughout the world in areas that have moderate rainfall and nearly year round sunlight. Areas such as Africa, Arabia, South America and Southern Asia are well suited for growing coffee and are notable for their large plantations. Other tropical regions such as Hawaii and Jamaica are known for smaller yields of high quality beans. There are only two different species of coffee beans that are used to make beverages, Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is considered the better tasting coffee and accounts for about 75 percent of the world’s coffee production, but it is more difficult and expensive to grow. Robusta, is less expensive to grow and can thrive in areas that Arabica cannot be grown, but it is considered to have an inferior “bitter” flavor.

Mexico & Central America

Mexico began exporting coffee in the late 1800s. The majority of coffee produced in Mexico is exported to the United States. Unlike many regions of the world, most of the beans grown in Mexico are grown not on large plantations, but small family operated farms. Although smaller than Mexico, Guatemala is also famous for its coffee production. First cultivated in the nineteenth century by German immigrants, Guatemala is considered to produce some of the finest quality coffee beans due to the optimal climate and excellent soil that is found on the southern slopes of the country’s volcanoes. Most other Central American countries also produce at least some coffee including Ecuador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Jamaica must also be mentioned as the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is produced there, and is considered by many to be one of the finest coffees in the world.

South America

The climate and geography of South America, especially the mountainous areas, lends itself well to coffee production. There are a number of regions in South America known for their coffee plantations. Brazil is one of the leading producers of coffee in the world producing over twenty million bags of raw coffee beans a year. The country has a long history of coffee production and has grown and exported Arabica coffee beans since the 1700s. Both Venezuela and Columbia are also major South American producers of coffee. Although not as well know as the traditional South American coffee producers, Peru is home to numerous coffee plantations, and is becoming known as a producer of both “generic” and high quality coffee beans.

Asia

Vietnam has become a major producer of coffee in the last few decades, producing nearly six million bags of coffee a year. The climate of Vietnam is not optimal for the more delicate Arabica coffee plants, so the majority of the coffee grown in the country is the hardier Robusta variety. The large islands of Java and Sumatra also both produce significant quantities of Robusta at their lower elevations and Arabica can be successfully grown at the higher elevations of the volcanoes and mountains. Other coffee growing areas in Asia include Timor, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and India.

Africa

Africa was the original home of Arabica coffee plants, and a number of African countries still produce coffee for export. Ethiopia, considered by many to be the first site that coffee was cultivated produces around four million bags of Arabica coffee beans each year. Coffee exports are particularly important to Ethiopia and other poor African countries and brings in much needed hard currency. Africa is a large continent and due to the variety of climates and geographical features, it includes many different types of coffee plantations. Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya all grow mainly Arabica coffee, while Madagascar and Tanzania grow a mixture of both Arabica and Robusta depending on the local climate and soil. Cameroon produces mainly Robusta, although some Arabica is grown there.

If you like coffee, you probably have a coffeemaker! If you have a coffeemaker, you have probably broken the carafe at some point! If this happens, you don’t need to buy a new coffeemaker, just a replacement carafe! To find out what carafe fits your coffeemaker and other coffee information visit Replacement Carafe Net!

Author: Felix J. Sheffield
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The drinking of coffee is a very common practice the world over. This is usually aided by a lot of things, such as the presence of coffee shops at every street corner in different countries. A lot of countries in tropical locations of the world grow some of the world’s best coffee. Coffee can easily grow in locations that are at some distance above sea level. Because of this fact you usually find different types of coffee which can satisfy different tastes. The best forms of coffee however are those that a grown on especially high locations such as mountainous yet tropic regions. A large number of countries in the world make coffee but these are some of the major countries that do so:

Brazil Brazil has one of the oldest coffee traditions in the world as coffee growing came to Brazil in the 1700′s. Currently they are the world’s forerunners in the production of the world’s most coffee. 1 out of every 4 cups of coffee that is drunk in the world today is of the Brazilian kind of coffee. Most of the coffee beans in Brazil are of the Arabica kind. In terms of specialty coffee Brazil is also quite popular. You have different farms growing these forms of specialty coffee: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra and Mundo Novo.

Brazilians harvest their coffee produce in the months between March and October. The coffee may be harvested by manual or mechanical means. Weather conditions may also affect the harvesting of coffee as the harvesters may also choose to use dry or wet methods in order to process their coffee.

Columbia

Columbia supplies the world’s second largest quantities of coffee after Brazil. Over 12% of the total coffee that is drunk in the world today has it’s origins in Columbia. Different types of Columbian coffee are available and they are usually very rich in flavor and are thick and have a slight acid content. They also have wonderful smells too.

Columbians usually harvest their coffee in the months between October and February. They also have another harvesting period which is between April and June. Different brews of coffee grown here include: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra and the Maragogype brands.

Mexico

Mexico had its first coffee plants planted towards the end of the 1700′s. Most of the coffee types grown in Mexico are of the simpler kinds. They are usually used as bases for blending. Farms in Mexico grow different brands such as the: Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Caturra and Maragogype brands.

Guatemala The climate of this country usually varies due to the topography and the location of the country. Because of this reason the country has different clear-cut versions of coffee. These coffee beans are harvested at different times of the year but the major harvesting period is usually between October and January.

Indonesia and New Guinea Coffees which come from this region are usually called Sumatran coffees. These coffees are so smooth and yet they are intrinsically complex. Some of the most popular brands of coffee here are the Mandheling and Lintong types of coffee.

Honduras Coffees grown in Honduras are quite simple coffees. They are usually used as bases for other blends. Most Honduran coffee is usually harvested in the months between October and March. The wet process method of harvesting coffee is usually used to harvest Honduran coffee. Honduran types of coffee make different types of coffee such as: Bourbon, Caturra and Typica coffee brands.

Ethiopia Ethiopia usually has some of the best coffee brands in the world over. People usually see Ethiopian coffee as one of the most unique and intriguing types of coffee brands in the whole world. Ethiopia grows these three types of coffee:Ghimbi, Harrar and the Sidamo . These coffees taste somewhat fruity and have very powerful aromas and thickness as well.

Other countries also produce some coffee brands or the other and these countries include Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Uganda as well as Venezuela.

Darren Williger is an over-caffeinated, low carbohydrate eating, winemaking enthusiast who writes for CaffeineZone.com, MyLowCarbPages.com, and CoffeeZen.com

Author: Darren Williger
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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